1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a barbecue or like cooking assembly made of heavy duty construction, but being specifically capable of being assembled or disassembled at a given outdoor location so as to facilitate initial installation and or transport the barbecue assembly between desired sites.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outdoor cooking, more commonly known as barbecuing or the like, has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years. Typically, the facilities used to accomplish such outdoor cooking are known as barbecue assemblies and can range in structure from portable, substantially lightweight units to more permanent heavy duty installations located in a fixed position outdoors.
The portable or somewhat lightweight assemblies are commonly known as kettle type cookers and are formed from a metallic or heat resistant material and frequently are mounted on wheels or a movable support frame so as to allow easy positioning of the entire assembly into and out of an operative location, normally outdoors. While such portable or lightweight units are increasing in popularity due to their ease of positioning, etc., such units do not add to the overall attractiveness or aesthetic appearance of a given outdoor location, such as a patio, yard, pool deck, etc.
One problem associated with the more permanent barbecue assemblies is their structural installation, which previous to the present invention, necessitated them being positioned at a permanent site rather than being capable of being removed, such as when the owners of a given home or like area move to a different locale. The referred to permanent structural installations are formed from a masonry, concrete, cementious material or the like and are permanently affixed to the ground or like supporting surface such that such facilities cannot be removed without being destroyed. The other advantages associated with the permanent facilities is generally a much larger capacity and, as set forth above, the overall improvement in the aesthetic appearance since the design of such permanent structures can be specifically adapted to cooperate with the surrounding environment or structure of a person's home, pool deck, etc.
There is an obvious need, therefore, for a barbecue or like cooking assembly which has what may be referred to as a heavy duty construction, formed of a masonry, concrete or cementious material like substance yet which is defined by a plurality of components removably interconnected to one another so as to facilitate easy installation as well as a knock down or disassembly of the subject structure thereby enabling the structure to be moved from one site to another, such as when a user sells his home and moves to a different locale. Such a preferred barbecue assembly further has the advantage of essentially prefabricating the components at a given site and thereby enabling more of a mass production type of manufacturing technique in order that a plurality of such barbecue assemblies can be "pre-made" and brought to a given, on-site location for assembly as desired by the user. The overall cost of production and assembly as well as the time and skill involved in the constructing of such a preferred barbecue assembly is greatly enhanced.